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Timson Hill Newsletter September 2015

Welcome to the Timson Hill Preschool 2015-2016 school year! Beautiful weather and beautiful children! It is a delight getting to know your amazing children as they learn our two fundamental rules in forming a healthy community: be kind and be safe. Changing and growing, diversity, and kindness are our overarching themes that will seep into all that we do this year at Timson Hill Preschool.

The children began the year learning how to recognize and describe feelings that are inside them and on the faces of others. They practiced making all different types of funny emotional faces, pretending to be mad, sad, or glad. As the year progresses, they will learn more feeling words, such as what it means to feel frustrated and disappointed, as well as how to calm their bodies and how to solve problems. We showed the class different photographs of children, so that they could describe what the child in the picture was feeling. For example, a Timson Hill preschooler said that a child in the photo took another’s toy away, which was why she was feeling sad. Another preschooler said that the person in the photo felt happy, because he was playing with other children. And of course, the children’s answers relate to what they are truly feeling inside. Social/emotional learning in early education supports core behavioral elements such as persistence, planning, flexibility, resiliency, the ability to understand and to communicate one’s feelings, and the capacity to collaborate.

Another type of curriculum that we are excited to introduce for the first time this year is called “Thinking Friends”, which was developed by Kimberly Williams, David Hyerle, Larry Alper, and Joyce Graham. One of the goals of this curriculum is to help children become aware of the different thinking processes they, and everyone, uses in their daily lives, such as sequencing, defining, classifying, describing, comparing, causes and effects of events, parts of whole objects. Robin and Kathie will be going through a year-long training process that will enhance their teaching skills throughout the year.

Nature is also a big part of our program. We started the year with painted lady and monarch caterpillars. We sang some butterfly songs, read butterfly books, played a butterfly math games, and danced the butterfly dances. In the dances the children felt as if they were a tiny silent egg, a hungry wormy caterpillar, a hanging J-shaped caterpillar, a caterpillar spinning into a chrysalis, a hanging chrysalis, and an emerging butterfly. Please look at the beautiful caterpillars on the blue bulletin board and the hanging butterflies that the children made.

It touches our hearts to watch the children and Ann (Grant’s nanny) wondrously watch the caterpillars and chrysalises. It is astounding to watch this metamorphosis unfold in front of our eyes.

Lauri from the Williamsville Eatery stopped by last week to ask if we would like to put the Timson Hill preschoolers’ artwork on the walls at her restaurant, which is at the corner of Timson Hill Road, just before you turn to come to Timson Hill Preschool. This was a great opportunity, and no one seemed to object, so we gave her a piece of artwork from each child. Their artwork will only be shown for about two weeks, so please go to the restaurant soon and check out this wonderful display of beauty

The Timson Hill preschoolers and staff are going to Green Mountain Orchards on Wednesday September 30th. We will go on a hayride, pick apples, and eat apple cider doughnuts! Special thank you to the parents who are driving on this field trip.

The Timson Hill Preschool is a family cooperative supported by a parent and community run board. The board meets once a month, as well as takes care of other necessary duties to ensure that the program runs smoothly. All parents are welcome to attend any board meeting. Our next meeting is Thursday October 8th at 4:45 pm. The Timson Hill Preschool Board Members for 2015-2016 are Erika Goldstein (THP parent), Johanna Doak-Liskowsky (THP parent), Brin Tucker (last year’s and next year’s THP parent), and Pat Halloran (she was one of the original members who started the school 28 years ago).

In order to meet our budget next year, we are going to hold the Rabbit Run, a half marathon and 5K run/walk on April 9th. We are hoping each parent (as their parent job, unless they have one already) will assist on this day and also bring at least two people to help. Approximately fifty volunteers are needed for this fundraiser. Kathie will discuss this with each of you over the next few weeks.

Parent workday was supposed to be on Saturday October 17th, but since Townshend is having their Pumpkin Festival on this day, we are changing our Parent Workday to October 24th from 8am to noon. This is a day when we freshen up the classroom and the outdoors. If this day does not work for you, please tell Kathie. All parents are required to attend unless you “bought out” or on the board.

Good-bye and best wishes always to Harmony and Holly. They are moving to Maine for their next exciting adventure. We will miss you. Be safe and have fun!

Please like Timson Hill Preschool on Facebook and share us with your friends. We will be posting photos monthly. All parents gave us the ok to post on Facebook, but if you have changed your mind, please let Kathie know immediately.

We still have some part-time and full-time openings at Timson Hill Preschool. Please spread the word to outside families that we give free ten hours of preschool education (three mornings, 8:15 to 11:45 or two days from 8:15 until 1pm). Thank you!